Bro & Beach

I didn't see my little brother much except for visiting him in his restaurant.  Here we are at a lunch date in downtown SLO.

 

I've shown you pictures of both Avila Beach and Pismo Beach.

Here we are at another beach, Cayucos.

We walked around the town

 

 

and even went into an antique shop, where I picked up an antique from my childhood, a relic of the past!

 

 

Then we were off to another beach and harbor town, Morro Bay.

 

 



 Here are the kids with Papa, enjoying the sand even though it was a bit brisk.

 

Papa even wanted to dance!

 

 

 

It was a fun day!

 

Beachin' and Whalin'

Once in town I like to hit the beach.  The beach makes for the most scenic gym, as seen in the following pictures.

 

 

Mornings are chilly, especially in Pismo Beach, where the morning workout takes place.  Avila Beach, on the other hand, is much warmer, and so - much more populated.  Sienna and I got several days of sunning on the sands, much to our enjoyment.

 

My parents spent a few hours with us on one of the days.  Here is Papa chatting with Sienna. 

 



 

Spenser isn't much of a beach person, so he likes to watch from the pier like his Papa Rose.

One amazingly cool aspect of Avila Beach was the view of the humpback whales, frolicking in the ocean every day.  For me it was so neat to be laying out on the sand, and just watching the water waiting for a tail, a fin, a leap, or a spray.  I was so distracted I couldn't even read!

 

People would paddle out on surfboards, kayaks, or small boats to get up close and personal to the whales.  Here's a video captured by a drone that shows the beauty and appeal of these majestic mammals.

 

 

 

The sun, a book, the beach, family, and whales?  You can't beat it!

 

 

Shelby Graduates

Our summer vacation started with my cousin Michele's youngest daughter, Shelby, graduating from my alma mater.  It's always neat to be back on my high school campus.

 

With the last name of Thomas, it took awhile to get to her!

 

It was quite a family reunion, and here are some of the bunch after the ceremony ended.

 

Then we headed to Shelby's boyfriend's house for the graduation party.  The reunion continues..

 

This is my Dad with his younger brother Izzy, and his niece Ramona (my Dad's brother Richard's daughter), and her son Anthony.

 

This is my cousin Michele with her whole family:  her husband Todd, their oldest Jennifer to the left of the graduate, and the middle child, Rebecca, on the right.

 



 

Here I am with 5 of my cousins, from left to right it's Terri, Ramona, Albertito, Michele, and Lydia.

 

My cousins Jennifer, Lydia, and Rebecca.

 



 

Me and Lydia.

My parents with Shelby.

 

 

Spenser with his Papa and Papa Rose.

 



Sienna too!

 



Our time with the graduate!

 



 

My parents!

 



 

It was a fun family time as our side took over the house.  Yikes!

Congratulations Shelby!  Guess who's next?

 

SIENNA!

 

525,600 minutes X 50

Happy 50th Anniversary to Rob's parents, Sienna and Spenser's grandparents, and my parents-in-law!

 

What a wonderful accomplishment and example you have set for our family.  You are loved and cherished, as hopefully this video montage will show!

 

 

 

*Video and audio created and compiled by Sienna Samour

Kitchen Problems

The joys of being a homeowner seem to be vying for attention these days on Bartlett Place.  The termites were here uninvited and then exterminated - with a cost of course.  Rob continues his weekend job of landscaper to stay ahead of the HOA.

 

Then one Monday morning I came downstairs to Bartlett Lake. 

 

 

 It required many beach towels to clean up the mess, and Rob has since done some cleaning and deep fridge diving.  The fridge is currently pulled to the middle of the kitchen as we continue to watch it for continual leakage.  It had a few dry days but is back to daily puddling.  I bet if Allan's Hardware and Fix-it was local, he could diagnose and repair it, but in his absence we must muddle through, hem and haw, cuss a little, and add it to the list of costly upcoming expenses.  The built-in microwave went long ago, the dishwasher is losing tines by the month, and oh did I mention the oven doesn't have heat?  Oh we so need Allan's Fix-it, or at least Allan Consultants.  I'll have my man of the house call your man of the house tomorrow!

Right about the time we are getting serious about adding another vehicle to the family, it seems we may also be in need of a kitchen appliance suite! I've always wanted a black appliance suite, but saw it more of a luxury than a necessity.  The odds seem to be favoring necessity rather than luxury at this point.  But time will tell.

 

Mas Photos de Dia de Madre

 

The above pictures are nice, but I must be honest with you.  It takes about 10 takes to get 1 serious one when you're dealing with Buddy, a.k.a. Spenser Allan.  He is all goof-ball, most of the time.

 

Need proof?  Here you go.

 

 

Don't ya just love him?  Most of the time I do!

School Daze

It's been a busy end of the school year and it's not over yet.  The tennis season ended with me taking these three young ladies to the state tournament.  They went to the second round before losing.

With the end of the season came the need for our banquet.  I created gifts for the girls, which included bedazzled tennis balls,



and these photo frames I scrapbooked.

 

The banquet was a potluck held in our library.  Sienna assisted me with music, a photo booth, and clean-up.  It was quite a fun event.

 

 

All our music equipment came in real handy for the banquet.  I used my own microphone and PA system, and the girls enjoyed it too!

 

Participating in Spirit Weeks allows teachers to wear jeans, and we just love that!  So for Superhero Day, my choice was Harry Potter.

 

Trying to keep 'fun' in literary analysis is always a challenge, but here are some good examples of how to do it.

 



 

A nice accolade I received.

 



 

A couple gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week.

 



 

Some days it gets to be so much that I need a nap!